| Rehabilitation robotics is a rapidly developing field that shows great potential for aiding people with movement disabilities in their recovery, and consequently in improving their quality of life and independence. Rehabilitation robots not only serve as physical aids to therapists, but also present new avenues in rehabilitation that were formerly unavailable. Increased motivation can be achieved via interactive virtual environments. Their integrated sensing and data logging abilities can provide quantitative feedback on the patient progress and therapy outcomes, which in turn can guide us in defining more effective therapy methods.;The control strategies of rehabilitation robots differ significantly from that of conventional industrial manipulators. One major distinction is the environment with which the robot interacts (i.e. a human with varying system dynamics). Another difference arises from the recent trend in patient-centered exercise regimens, where the robot adapts its behavior based on the patient's effort. The research presented herein has given rise to two robotic systems for neurorehabilitation:;The lower extremity exoskeleton ANDROS ( Active Knee Rehabilitation Orthotic System) is a wearable robotic system that serves as an assistive tool for gait retraining. ANDROS reinforces a desired gait pattern by continually applying force fields around the knee joint, commanded by the impedance controller. Force feedback allows ANDROS to minimize interaction forces when the patient is walking correctly. A sensorized yet unactuated brace worn on the unimpaired leg is used to synchronize the playback of the desired trajectory based on the user's intent.;HERRI (Hand Enhancement Robotic Rehabilitation Interface) is a robotic hand interface that employs interactive virtual environments to facilitate repetitive performance of task specific exercises for patients recovering from neurological motor deficits. A two degree of freedom (DoF) robotic interface allows coordinated motions of the forearm and the hand (pronation/supination and grasp/release, respectively). The joints are driven by two novel electrorheological fluid (ERF) based hydraulic actuators.;This manuscript presents the design, development, control, and testing of these robotic neurorehabilitation systems. |
